New York Take 5 FAQs

We get asked a lot of questions about the Take 5 lottery, so we’ve gathered all our favorites here – hopefully, you can find an answer to your query down below.

Question: When are the Take 5 drawings?

Answer: There are two Take 5 drawings every day – one at 2:30 PM and the other at 10:30 PM ET.

Question: When do the Take 5 ticket sales close?

Answer: Sales close for the Midday drawing at 2:15 PM and 10:20 PM for the Evening drawing. You can still buy tickets in this time; they’ll just be for the next day’s draws.

Question: What do I need to do when playing Take 5?

Answer: Playing Take 5 is easy – once you’ve got your playslip from an authorized NY Lottery retailer, select 5 different numbers from 1 to 39 and pass it back to them. You’ll get your ticket, and then you just need to wait for the next draw!

Question: How do I win Take 5?

Answer: You can win a prize in Take 5 by matching two or more of the winning numbers for your draw. Find out more on our Take 5 Prizes page.

Question: How can I claim my Take 5 prize?

Answer: Take 5 prizes under $600 can be claimed at any NY Lottery-authorized retailer. For bigger prizes, you can mail your tickets to the New York Lottery, PO Box 7533, Schenectady, NY 12301-7533. If you’re not currently in New York, you can use the mail-in route for prizes of any size.

Question: How much do Take 5 tickets cost?

Answer: Take 5 tickets cost $1 per play.

Question: How do the prizes work in Take 5?

Answer: Except for the match-2 prize, prizes in Take 5 depend on the number of tickets sold, the number of winners in each prize tier, and whether there were any jackpot winners for that draw. To get the full picture, head over to our Take 5 Prizes page.

Question: Is there an age-limit to playing Take 5?

Answer: Yes, you can only play Take 5 (or any other NY lottery) if you are 18 or over.

Question: Are Take 5 prizes taxed in New York?

Answer: Yes, prizes over $600 are subject to federal and state taxes.

Question: Can I enter multiple Take 5 games using my playslip?

Answer: Yes, the playslip has space for 5 different plays, and you can use the “MARK NUMBER OF DRAWS” section to enter your numbers in up to 7 consecutive drawings.

Question: What if my Take 5 ticket gets damaged, lost, or stolen?

Answer: Prizes cannot be redeemed if your ticket is damaged or unavailable – you should sign your ticket as soon as you can, and keep it safe. It may be worth contacting the official NY Lottery if you believe you had a winner, especially if you still have the receipt for it.